With mom in town to help pack up my apartment, it was only fitting that we try out one of Gainesville's funkiest eateries --- The Top. Two of my favorite people tagged along and we had a fabulous time gorging ourselves on both healthy and fattening dishes.

To start, we ordered two appetizers. The tastes and flavors of each were completely different, yet equally satisfying. Now, I'm not a big fan of blue cheese, but their Maytag Blue Cheese Chips made me actually reconsider. The chips were thick and crunchy--just the way homemade ones should be--and topped with Maytag blue cheese sauce, crumbled blue cheese and green onions. The flavor was rich without being overpowering. After a while I started to feel gross with all the grease, but you're going to get that with potato chips.

Black Bean Cakes

Our second appetizer was a bit healthier. The black bean cake itself was made with roasted corn and poblano peppers and topped with an ancho pepper cream sauce and mango salsa. The salsa added a nice light flavor to the heaviness of the beans and cream sauce. Eating the bean cake by itself was kind of bland, but when mixed together, the flavors all blended nicely and had a tropical feel. When served warm, you can't go wrong with this filling appetizer.

Ciopinno

By the time my entree arrived I was pretty darn full, but with a plate as yummy looking as my Ciopinno I couldn't resist. On the specials menu, the ciopinno was made with mussels, shrimp and mahi all blended into a spicy tomato sauce. The seafood wasn't the freshest I've ever tasted, but the spicy richness of the sauce masked any qualms I may have had.

At the end of the meal all of us were stuffed and happy. The Top's menu is quite extensive and they have lots of veggie and vegan options. Their wide-variety of pastas are my favorite and you better believe I will be going back for more.